Omaha daily bee., 1887-09-25
SPEED THE PARTING GUEST.
The Sentiment Expressed by Tom
KceNe's BanQuet Last Nieht.

NJ tne Uranu opera house, the Elk dele
CATION from Kansas City, with about one
hundred and twenty live others.
accompanied Mr.. Thomas W. Keene
to the Barker hotel. The din
ing room was spread with
beautifully garnished tables, one OF
which ran along the west side of the
apartment. Three Others extended from
1t to the entrance. The columns OF the
rooms as also the Office were gracefully
decorated with national colors.
The Musical Union orchestra
which fraternally volunteered its
services played the opening march
and to its inspiring strains the
invited guests took their places at the
board At the table first mentioned sat
w. N. Babcock, exalted ruler of the
Omaha lodge of Elks. No. 30. On his
right sat Milton Mobiles, next to him
being Mr.. Balch. tho courteous and gen.
erous host of the Barker, who rendered
the banquet. On Mr. BabcOck's left sat
MIR. !. w. Miner, and by his side
the guest Of the evening. Thomas W. .
keene.
Around the other tables sat about one
hundred and fifty people Of the leading
pTOicSSlOHdl dUS .'terCdlttl0 CIRCLES.
But little time was lost in opening the
feast, and when an hour had passed. an
exquisite oyster supper had been dis
cussed.
The following programme was then
carried outs
Toast Masters Greeting. .......l. w. Miner
Our Welcome Guests. ts...................
~, .;:;; ;WIIIa% SS, y; Ghids kansas City
...Messrs. Riggs, Brigham, hurley, Reed
Our Generous Host. ...-.. Z. e; Snyder
Tue Acme of Simpiicit; ......w. Z. Gregory
,i. ihe Ladies. .....................;;:
Our Piaywrights. ............ Milton Mobiles
Banjo duet. .;r. .Messrs. Chambers, brown
The Order of Elks.. ..... 80. John Francis
Omaha n Sl Lodge No. 39..........G. y; Bahcock
Municipal government. w. II +. Becsei
Please Register. er..............A. Il. Davenport
The sosia .alpS,dS Aspect Of Utah p OF
Mr. Ksene introdaced his rslSa REMARKS a'Sv Sy
quoting a sentiment from Charlotte
Cushman. He then said:
All honor to Charlotte Cushmanl Peer
less in the guild of our art among Our hon
ored dcountrywomen. My brothers Of the Elks.
1 greet you in loving fraternity. The senti-
msnts just expressed, which you have en-
twined as a garland about the cup pledged in
honor of the drama, are as beautiful as they
are suggestive. TO the sister arts. poetry,
sculpture, painting the world owes its ciyiii-
ZatlOn.
The drama is practical poetry. 1t is the
material!sm Of word painting. The senti-
ments left to us by our sister come to us as
the echoes of the centuries before christianity
was even dream, when Pagan Greece was
a model for the world, from which
the expanded world of the present draws
its grandest inspirations, In the, far away
shadow OF prehistoric time the drama was
the literature of Greece, contemporaneous
co-equal in their birth. Pericles, Eurpides
and Terence shared public honors. Tho
@on%msn'al o1nnn;,n marbles Sss, that crowned the
@ groves nUFn o2 Acads%Ss with e apoIaaac eassic
ing thousands still lives in the studies
only BY the grand conceptions Of the master,
splendid achievements of mans hand
s,erD, ana e pass dsama wt us out s6aKs
speare. Shakespeare is the drama whose
lines will live as our language will endure.
Universal In their reaching, undyina In their
wOndrOus thought and expression, as fresh
as as they were In the days OF old Queen Bess-
In all ages the drama has been reflex of
the time 1t deified virtue, ennobled intel
lect, gloriied honor, stimulated the humble
was but q crudity when poetry and the
drama were power Until tha decadence of
Greece, and long after Rome had become the
mistress of the world under the Caesars,
and 80 Continued until Angelo and Raphaei
rose under the fostering patronage OF the
mighty powers Of the church under the pom
tlffs. They founded that school known as
the Old Masters--.oldto to us now in the march
Of time, but as compared with the drama,
young enough in simple parlance, merely to
rank as the dramas great great-grand child.
Talking. thinking or writing OF the drama,
Shakespeare rises before the minds eve al
ways. He Is the be-all and the end-all.
How endeared to us of every degree, OF every
CLINE and nation has he become. We are
told that there ts are spots upon the ei,uiEens
the age is to drag the image from the niche
In the ideal temple where the immortal great
are lodged In impesisable glory, Speculation
sna tay thsSTy anSs ra%Ss wd and da
unit until th.y 1s aPs b.ios9ed IN IN the s ingenious s
sophistries Of cipher. A cipher !
glazing on IT, the word what hat 81, Is cipher?
"Whats in a namee" BY any other
name Shakespeare would be cher
ishered as dearly by the world.
That which was to us sU
away from the Warwickshire village for his
satire on the squire Of Chalcote and from his
bride In green lanes OF Skating, to lind his
Iato In LOnuOn, OF Wn0L was given 10 us IN
Shaksperean name--what does 1t matter.
Hamlet and the other inspirations of his pen
unequaled since he lived are ShakeSpeare's S
| still ana as Shakesperean they will remain
| to the end, when old Father Time shall roll
up his scroll and say "inis."
But detain you too long. My trade is to
love Shakespeare and love my trade. 1t
| has grown with my life. 1t Is the meat l feed
| on and thank God have thriyen on it,
At the suggestion of Mr.. Miner. three
hearty cheers were given for Mr.. Keene
after the applause which greeted his adj
| dress had subsidized.
| Mr.. Keene delivered his address with
the energy and earnestness of man
thoroughly imbued with tho sentiments
ard feelings to which he gave expression
and was listened to with intense interest
on the part of every one present.
Throughout the evening the most gen
erous joyial and fraternal spirit pre-
vailed. Pleasant bon mots were eX
changed, agreeable conversation in
dulged, while at times hearty peals OF
laughter told that somebody had con-
tributed to the general fund of merriment
by y happy remark or
play OF wit. But among
the number of merry people, none
seemed to enjoy the occasion more than
did the genial guest himself. His genial